Sunak will be donating his salary from the two companies to a charity he co-founded with his wife.
Former UK prime minister Rishi Sunak has been appointed as a senior adviser at Microsoft and Anthropic.
Sunak is a currently serving member of parliament in the UK, and has been told by the country’s Advisory Committee on Business Appointments not to lobby the government, or provide any privileged information to the companies.
The former Conservative Party leader has had dealings with both the companies previously to set up the 2023 AI Safety Summit.
Commenting on his appointment, Anthropic said, “[Sunak] was among the first global leaders to recognise AI’s transformative potential, establishing the world’s first AI Safety Institute and convening the inaugural AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park. His experience will provide valuable strategic perspective.”
Microsoft and Anthropic are major investors into the UK’s tech landscape. Last month, Microsoft committed $30bn to the country’s AI infrastructure in what was its largest-ever financial commitment in the country.
While Anthropic is a key AI company operating in the UK. Earlier this year, the UK government signed a memorandum of understanding with Anthropic on exploring new AI opportunities and how AI can transform the country’s public services.
Yesterday (9 October), Sunak said that he “long believed that technology will transform our world”, adding that he wants to “help these companies ensure that this shift delivers the improvements in all of our lives that it can”.
Sunak has said that he will not personally financially benefit from his appointments. He will be donating his salary to The Richmond Project, a charity he established with his wife Akshata Murty.
Microsoft backs Anthropic’s rival OpenAI as its biggest investor. The operating software leader is currently working with OpenAI to iron out a deal which could see it holding as much as 30pc of the company. While the $183bn start-up Anthropic is fast expanding globally, having recently announced plans to triple its global workforce.
Sunak’s appointment follows former UK deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, who served as Meta’s president of global affairs for a number of years. He stepped down earlier this year, shortly before Donald Trump’s second term as US president.
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Former prime minister Rishi Sunak attends AI Summit at Bletchley Park, 2023. Image: Rory Arnold/No 10 Downing Street via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
